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If you’re not wasting enough time on the internet, let this bot tell you about Philly

If given a prompt, this new bot spits out fake articles and short stories.

A bot will explain the beauty that is Philly, sorta.
A bot will explain the beauty that is Philly, sorta.Read moreTim Tai / Staff Photographer

It’s a special kind of storytelling, everyone.

Thanks to advancements in language generation technology, the bot Talk to Transformer is capable of a lot more than finishing your sentence. Feed it a prompt, and it will answer with a whole story (even with invented quotes).

Spotted over at the tech news site The Verge, the bot is fueled by an algorithm called GPT-2. Its creators, researchers at the San Francisco-based lab OpenAI, harvested 8 million links from Reddit and taught the system from there. Adam King, an engineer from Toronto, built this easy-to-use bot.

The bot’s language is clear and even fluid, but sometimes reflects a lack of comprehension and doesn’t always makes sense. It’s not what a person would write.

And it’s raised some concerns about technology, as The Verge reports, particularly if used for hacking or promoting extremism.

Naturally, this is a fun site to ask about the future, so we started our queries there.

Prompt: The candidate who will win Philadelphia’s mayoral primary actually is
The candidate who will win Philadelphia’s mayoral primary actually is Sandy Davenport : the new chief executive officer of the Philadelphia Transit Authority, she will be leaving her post earlier this month but is likely to retain her current job as deputy director of communications for the agency. Philadelphia Mayor Bill Peduto (D) has made a point of criticizing Democrats who support the use of the term “stop-and-frisk,” the practice of stopping people of color and young people for routine searches. It’s clear that Peduto does not hold that view, but the issue of the term isn’t really a Democratic matter. Peduto also doesn’t believe in criminalizing people suspected of having committed no crime, but he is not as opposed to using the term in general. Peduto supports civil remedies; he doesn’t oppose the practice of enforcing it in the first place. Peduto is talking, essentially, about police officers and not about criminal law.Nowhere in Philly does Peduto’s name appear in a policy document that was released late in September and includes the following line: "Our policies on use-of-force

Come on down, Sandy!! But wait, who is Sandy again? Apparently, this bot doesn’t know the difference between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Let’s try something easier.

Prompt: Tomato pie is irresistible because
Tomato pie is irresistible because it’s so simple, but it also reminds me of a very different kind of savoury. A pie that has become an everyday dinner accompaniment.
It tastes like a thin slice of pie or a baked potato – soft and crumbly – and is made of simple ingredients, like nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, vanilla extract, etc.
I love a strong and complex dish that is also a good meal for the mind and body, so this recipe is perfect for sharing, as it's a wonderful way to make something that's more than just an appetizer.
To make it even more fun, check out this fun little experiment by our fabulous friend Mika and her family at her local diner in Canada:
I've also made this version of a savoury with mushrooms, tomatoes and ponzu, because I'm a fan of mushrooms.
This recipe works equally pretty well with rice, pasta or rice with pasta – and makes all the difference in the world.
4.8 from 1 review Tomato Pie Author: Annabelle

Where’s the recipe, Transformer??? We’re worried about using too much vanilla extract.

Finally, let’s settle something that stokes much debate.

Prompt: The most beautiful spot in Philadelphia is
The most beautiful spot in Philadelphia is right in the middle of nowhere. There are so few places in New York where the city can be truly beautiful and you feel totally at home. And of course you can live there too!
There aren’t as many places to do so as on the East Coast, but there are just about every type of vacation destination you could possibly think of. In fact, if you’re living in the Northeast, then you should make a point of visiting one of the best parts of it, too. And if you live in the Midwest, I’m pretty sure you can find great places to vacation without having to choose between New York, Chicago, Columbus, and Philly. If you’re just planning on visiting Philly, why not take it? It’s the best city in Philly to do just about anything you want. It’s just so fun! There are tons of great opportunities for hiking, camping, swimming, riding your bike, biking…you name it, there’s something going on here. You can really enjoy yourself here. If you’re thinking about New York in particular, you should check out any of the New York

We’re equal parts confused, offended and proud, but at least the bot knows that Philly’s a place that feels like home.